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Topic Review (Newest First)

01-27-2013 01:12 PM

auban

almost forgot, i added a bottle of DIY CO2 in november. it lasted about three weeks, and then i kept shaking it up after a few weeks to gas off what was left. i really need to get it recharged...

01-27-2013 01:04 PM

auban

the stand was made for the tank, so i guess its fine.
it hasnt failed yet... although i would LOVE something a bit more attractive...

01-27-2013 01:01 PM

MSG

Thanks for the updates, really like the plant in the middle, looks like a cephalopod.

Hopefully once get the lights on my squared away I can have a luscious tank in a month.

Curious about the stand. It can support the weight of a 60G tank? The angled parts doesn't seem like it would be strong enough.

I would comment more, but I have to head out to run errands before the next snow storm arrives.

01-27-2013 12:54 PM

auban

from what i have been able to tell, it takes a few weeks before the plants start changing the way they grow. at some point they get stuck in a vegetative state where they constantly grow, usually in slightly different ways than they do with a normal photoperiod.
for instance, a plant that normally grows very dense leaf clusters will grow incredibly leggy, or vice versa.

anyway, i have been lazy with taking pics of the tank because i have neglected it to the point where i couldnt see clearly through the front glass.

before i cleaned the glass, before the massive trimming.

after i cleaned the front and after the massive trimming.

this is the tank on november 25th. it was still recovering from the move across the country.

september 23, right after i filled it back up with water after the move.

the day before the move:

during the move. had i room to turn the tank sideways, i would have been able to save more of the plants i think...

just before the move, at the beginning of october:

the lights are just 48 inch dual bulb shop lights from walmart. there are two of them on the tank, for a total of 4 bulbs.

01-27-2013 11:47 AM

MSG

How many watts are your lights?

Good thing you put your assistant for a size comparison & same with the soda bottle.

I left my lights on for at least 60 hours but I didn't have any growth like that.

Other than the 100 plant stems in my tank, there's no other inhabitants.

I'll fill it with my bettas after I'm done partying this weekend.

Anyway, do you have any current photos of your entire tank? The two photos make me curious to see what your setup looks like now.

The pictures I've seen in your gallery of the 60+ tank are from 2009.

01-27-2013 09:10 AM

auban

just felt like showing off. another plant from the 65g, aponogeton crispus. i moved it to a different part of the tank, where it wont get in the way as much when i catch bluefin killifish fry.

01-27-2013 04:52 AM

LyzzaRyzz

^^ I find myself leaving the lights on longer and longer in an attempt to get some algea to grow for my otos. I dont mind algea, i think it adds to a tank..I have a fake log that is covered in algea and it turned a rather obvious peice into something that looks natural. But i do have dark periods, cause when i do, i see all the fish go to the bottom, and 'rest'. Some dont, Some rest when the lights on, but when the light is off, and you look, there are snoozing guppies on the sand. And my cories too. they always take much longer to wake up, even after the light has been on for a few minutes..they are deep sleepers!
My betta, he sleeps..everywhere, anytime...He finds the coolest beds..=]

01-26-2013 10:41 PM

auban

without anything to stop algae from growing, it WILL show up in your tank if you leave the light on 24/7. in my "dr seuss" tank, the one with way too much light and cow manure in the substrate, there is so much UV being pushed into the tank that it creates a hostile environment for cyano and some other types of algae(most types it seems). im trying to support a very diverse "ecosystem" in the 65g bluefin killifish tank, so i need the algae there, as well as all the plants. if i want as much life as i can get, i need to encourage the growth of producers(algae, cyano, plants) as much as i can, so i leave the lights on 24/7.

why do i leave the lights on 24/7 with fish in it? is that meant to imply that it has a negative impact on the fish? i cant say that it does. they seem happy enough to be breeding like mad. so far i havent seen any negative impacts.

yes, lucania goodie and lucania parva. the tank is not normal by any means. i have worked to create as much of an ecosystem as i possibly can. to that end, i have a LOT of plants and i have inoculated it with a ridiculously large variety of life. it has at least 12 different species of chydoridae, about 15 different species of ostracods(there may be more) at least five different types of oligochaet worms (mostly dero types) 6 different species of snails, 4 different species of grammarus, two different ectoprocts(which never seem to do so well) god knows how many copepods, and a a mix of microfauna collected from all over the country.

i have tested the tank by not touching it for weeks at a time, and found that not only did the fish survive, they bred. in the meantime, i keep a culture of all kinds of wee beasties that get added to the tank every so often. i dont know if it helps, but it makes sense to me.

i leave the lights on because its the powerhouse that makes the whole tank go round